While White Sox rookie Colson Montgomery stole headlines with three homers in three straight games, including a grand slam on Saturday night, it was the team’s two rookie catchers who powered the offense this weekend.
The White Sox scored 22 runs across their 2-1 series win over the Twins, with Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero accounting for 12 of them. In Friday’s 9-7 loss, both rookies logged two hits, a run scored, and an RBI each, with Teel also drawing a walk.
Quero was out of the lineup on Saturday, but Teel continued his hot streak, drawing a walk and scoring a run in the 7-3 victory. On Sunday, both catchers returned to the lineup. Teel opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first and later scored on a Quero single. He finished the game with three hits and four RBIs, while Quero added two hits and three RBIs in the 8-0 series clinching win.
By the end of the series, Teel and Quero combined for nine hits, seven RBIs, and five runs scored, further cementing their role as key contributors for the White Sox offense.
The White Sox offense is already reaping the rewards of Korey Lee rejoining the roster, as his presence has allowed the rookie catching duo to have more consistent at-bats in the same lineup. While Lee has yet to start a game since getting promoted from Triple-A Charlotte, having a third catcher on hand gives manager Will Venable flexibility.
With just two catchers, the White Sox often had to hold one of them out of the lineup in case of an injury or a late-game pinch-hitting situation. Lee now allows both Teel and Quero more DHing opportunities when the other is behind the dish.
This is good news for the White Sox, as Teel, who was recently deployed as the White Sox leadoff hitter, is slashing .283/.375/.409 with 21 RBIs, four homers, and a pair of stolen bases. Quero has been just as productive in a slightly larger sample size, slashing .285/.350/.382 with 34 runs driven in and four homers.
So far, the two have shared the lineup only 29 times this season. With Lee available off the bench, that number should climb quickly before the season’s end.
